Report rejects use of shark nets as impractical

A report commissioned by the West Australian government on the growing number of shark attacks on the state's coast has rejected a push for the installation of shark nets.

The report by associate professor Daryl McPhee from Bond University has found that shark nets kill too many other species, including dolphins.

The Fisheries Minister Norman Moore has told the ABC the report has found there is no fail safe method for protecting swimmers and surfers from shark attacks.

"Nothing's fail safe, I mean there's no silver bullet in all this," he said.

"At the end of the day there is nothing that we can do that I can think of other than banning people from the ocean or killing every shark out that's out there to stop somebody being attacked at some time.

"So what we are trying to do is look at mechanisms which might minimise or reduce the risks for people who use the ocean."

Mr Moore says he has not ruled out using shark nets to try to protect swimmers at some of the state's most popular beaches.

He says he will release the report for public comment before making a final decision.

"We've got this report which is recommending we don't do it, but I still want the public to have a look at the report, and if there are people that can tell us that the research has got it wrong then I'd be interested to hear from them as well," he said.

"We just want to make sure that somehow or another we can give people some comfort in respect to the fact that we are doing our best to protect our beaches."

Mr Moore says another option, that has been raised by the Premier, is to look at legislation which allows fisheries officers to shoot sharks that pose an imminent danger to swimmers.

"What the premier is saying and what I think we need to look at is whether or not we might expand the definition of imminent danger to sharks which are located reasonably close to swimming beaches," he said.

Speed it up

The State Opposition has accused the government of dragging its feet on a strategy.

Labor spokesman Ben Wyatt says with summer approaching, the government needs to speed up the process.

"Just get on with it; this has been going on now for months, if not years," he said.

"We know the issue of sharks, we know that there are limited options that we can actually pursue.

"I just can't understand what the delay is, make a decision and do it."

Meanwhile, the first weekend of aerial beach patrols has failed to spot any sharks.

The patrols have started a month earlier than usual due to the unusual number of shark attacks in the past 10 months.

Surf Life Saving WA conducts the patrols from Yanchep to Mandurah, including Rottnest Island.

They will run until April and, from October, will be conducted seven days a week.

Surf Life Saving says the helicopters will not only look out for sharks but also for swimmers in distress and dangerous water conditions such as rips.